Eleanor Laing

The Right Honourable Dame Eleanor Laing DBE MP
Official portrait, 2022
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Chairman of Ways and Means
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 January 2020[a]
Speaker	Lindsay Hoyle
Preceded by	Lindsay Hoyle
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
In office 16 October 2013 – 19 December 2019
Speaker	John Bercow Lindsay Hoyle
Preceded by	Nigel Evans
Succeeded by	Rosie Winterton
Shadow Minister for Justice
In office 2 July 2007 – 11 May 2010[3]
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Henry Bellingham
Succeeded by	Maria Eagle
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 19 May 2005 – 7 December 2005
Leader	Michael Howard
Preceded by	James Gray
Succeeded by	David Mundell
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
In office 15 March 2004 – 2 July 2007
Leader	Michael Howard David Cameron
Preceded by	Caroline Spelman
Succeeded by	Theresa May
Member of Parliament for Epping Forest
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Steven Norris
Majority	22,173 (44.1%)
Personal details
Born	Eleanor Fulton Pritchard (1958-02-01) 1 February 1958 (age 66) Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Alan Laing ​ (div. 2002)​
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh

Dame Eleanor Fulton Laing, DBE (née Pritchard; born 1 February 1958)^[4] is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Epping Forest since 1997. She has served in the shadow cabinets of Michael Howard and David Cameron. Since 2013, Laing has served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons; and since 2020, as Chairman of Ways and Means, making her the senior Deputy Speaker, and the first woman to hold this post.

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